Fallen Star
by WriteBrain
Summary: Sequel to my story Star Crossed. After Sigyn was murdered, Loki went mad with grief, triggering the events leading up to his fall from the Bifrost. Frigga found a way to save Sigyn's soul, but nobody knew except her, in case it didn't work. Will Loki and Sigyn ever find their way back to each other? Will they be the same people when they do? MCU, adding Sigyn to the story.
1. Chapter 1

**Awakening**

 _Coney Island, New York, USA - March 22, 1946_

An old fisherman walked out onto the beach as the sun started to rise, then suddenly dropped what he was carrying and ran to the water; there was a young woman lying naked and unconscious in the waves.

He removed his coat and covered her as he pulled her from the water. Once he made sure that she was breathing, he ran for help. He returned minutes later and waited with her until the police arrived.

"Where am I?" she asked frantically as she woke.

"Coney Island, Miss. You're far from home, judging by your accent. Is that England I hear?"

"I...I don't know." She tried to remember, but everything felt fuzzy. Her thoughts came in bits and pieces. Dark hair. A smile. She felt lightheaded and laid back down in the sand.

Two police officers came a few minutes later and began asking the old man questions. One officer was young, probably new on the job; the other was older, more of a father figure. The former had blonde hair and blue eyes; not her platinum blonde, but more golden. The latter had black hair, spattered with gray, and brown eyes. She tried to listen in on their conversation.

"I was coming down here to do my morning fishing and I found her washed up on the beach, naked as the day she was born. She said she doesn't know where she came from, maybe she hit her head or something?"

The younger officer approached her. "Excuse me, Miss. Do you know where you are? What's your name?"

"S... I think my name started with an 'S' but...I can't recall."

"Sandra? Susan? Maybe Sarah, Sally, Sharon, Shirley, Sylvia?" he rattled off S-names as he thought of them.

"No, none of those." She couldn't remember.

"Well, why don't we get off of this cold beach? Let's go back to the station, get you some clothes and food along the way? When we get back to the station we'll see what our Chief wants to do with ya. Whaddaya say?"

She nodded and followed the officers back to their squad car. They stopped off at a thrift store and the older officer bought her a change of clothes and shoes, and they allowed her to dress in the fitting room. They drove back to the beach to return the old man's coat, and she fell asleep in the back seat. On the drive to the station, she began mumbling in her sleep.

"The wildflowers...until the end of time itself...castle..."

The two officers exchanged glances as they listened. She awoke as they pulled into the police station parking lot.

"Are you alright, Miss? You were talking in your sleep, something about flowers and a castle."

"It was just a dream," she quietly replied.

xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

When they arrived at the police station, a woman was waiting for them at the front desk.

"I'm Agent Carter, with the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement Logistics Division. This woman needs to come with me for questioning in regards to an active investigation to do with the disappearance of Captain America."

"Can I see some kind of i.d.?" the older officer asked as Peggy pulled her badge from her blazer. He looked it over before handing it back to her. "Well, I guess you're going with Miss Carter here."

" _Agent_ Carter, not Miss," she corrected him.

The two women left the police station together, getting into Peggy's car.

"What is this really about? I don't even know my own name, let alone anything about this Captain of yours."

"That was a story to extract you safely. There are other people in pursuit of you, there are stories that you have abilities, and an organization called Hydra wants to weaponize you. I have a friend named Howard who has the means to keep you safe until we can figure out who you are, where you're from, and what you're really capable of. I'm taking you to an airport a few hours south of here now to meet him. We need to get you out of the country to a secure location before Hydra closes in on you."

The two women drove the rest of the way in silence. When they got to the hangar where Howard's plane was waiting, they were greeted by Jarvis. "Good afternoon, ladies."

"Where is Howard?" Peggy asked impatiently.

"I'm right here," Howard replied, stepping out of his private jet. "Let's see this dame that washed up on the beach, where is she? Oh... Wow..." His jaw fell open when he saw her standing behind Peggy.

"Yes, well... I must be going, I have a long drive back to New York. Call me when you land, please?"

"I assure you, I'll phone you as soon as we arrive in...wherever it is we're going," Jarvis replied as Peggy said her goodbyes and left.

"We're not leaving for a little while, would you like something to eat or drink, Miss?"

"Yes, please. I'm quite hungry." She smiled nervously at Jarvis before he led her to a small table inside the hangar that had a small array of breads and fruits at one end. She grabbed a croissant and some strawberries, taking a seat at the empty end of the table as Jarvis poured her a cup of tea. Howard sat down a few minutes later, curiously looking her over.

"You're very intriguing," he said, startling her. Howard chuckled, "I'm sorry. Your abilities, though, can you show me how you did it?"

"Did what, exactly?" she asked, a confused look on her face.

"Wait, you really don't know? What _do_ you remember?"

"I woke up on the beach just this morning. I don't know how I got there. I don't even know my own name, just that I believe it begins with an 'S' but I'm not even sure of that. I've had some rather odd dreams, as well."

"You popped up on our radar about a week ago, you came crashing down from the sky, literally out of nowhere, and were adrift in the middle of the ocean. You were unconscious but your body was giving off electromagnetic pulses, like lightning, to incapacitate any predators, sharks and whales and such. The waves were too rough to do an extraction at sea; we had to wait for you to wash ashore. I honestly don't know how you didn't drown."

She was speechless, staring at Howard as she processed what he said. "Am I dangerous?" she finally asked.

"That's what I'd like to figure out. We're going to a private island where we can work on honing your abilities without putting anyone at risk. I have a gut feeling that you'll be a great ally, to me personally and to this country. As soon as you're finished eating, we'll be ready to go.

xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

Howard and Jarvis were in the cockpit to her left when she climbed the stairs and boarded the plane. There were four leather seats to her right, and a doorway in the rear of the plane that led to a room with a king-sized bed.

"We'll be taking off soon," Howard said, "make yourself comfortable. There's a bathroom through the bedroom at the back with a working shower if you'd like to get washed up." He winked at her and smiled.

"Do you mind if I sleep in the back after I shower? I've never flown before, and I'm quite tired all of a sudden."

"Sure thing, doll," he replied, turning back to Jarvis.

"Sir, I'd advise against flirting with this one, especially if you'd like to keep a professional relationship with her."

"She's breathtaking though, Jarvis. She looks like an angel." Howard stood and pulled the airstair door closed.

xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

She stood in the shower letting the hot water roll down her body, clutching the bar on the wall and struggling to stand as the plane took to the sky. She felt as though she was supposed to be somewhere else, but she couldn't remember where that was.

She looked down at her chest and saw a bright pink line on her left side; she ran her fingers over the raised skin, wondering to herself where she could have gotten such a large scar.

" _ **NO!**_ " she heard a man's voice scream in her head as she touched the scar, and felt a sharp pain in her chest. She immediately pulled her hand away from the scar and crouched down on the floor of the shower, tears pooling in her eyes.

" _Who is this dark-haired man who haunts my dreams? Why can't I recall anything or anyone else? Surely I have parents, other family, friends even._ "

She was vulnerable, scared, and alone. She had nobody to trust except for the two men who now had her confined to this airplane. She wiped her eyes, rinsing the shampoo and soap from her body as she stood. When she was finished, she turned off the water, wrapping a towel around herself as she stepped out of the shower. As she left the small bathroom, she startled Jarvis as he was laying out a clean set of pajamas for her on the bed.

"I apologize," he quickly said, averting his eyes to the floor. "Howard sometimes entertains women on the plane so he keeps spare clothing for such an occasion. I believe you'll find that these fit you; they'll be far more comfortable to sleep in than the clothing that you arrived in."

"Thank you, Mr. Jarvis," she said, trying her best to sound calm.

"Have you been crying? What's happened?"

"I'm fine, I'll be alright. I was just thinking too long on something while I showered is all. I'll be fine after a rest."

"Alright. I'll leave you to it, then. If you need anything, anything at all, just press that black button on the wall there," he said as he pointed to the far left of the bed, "and you can speak to us in the cockpit." He left her alone then, closing the door behind him, and she dressed in the clothes he had left for her. It was a set of green silk pajamas with gold buttons on the shirt and drawstring pants. They fit her tiny frame almost perfectly. She pulled down the sheets and climbed under the covers, falling asleep almost instantly.

xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

She dreamt of lying in a meadow of tiny pink wildflowers, reading a book. The dream felt beautifully real; she could smell the flowers and feel the sun and breeze warm on her skin. Everything felt calm and blissful; she was alone and enjoying the quiet.

After a moment, she heard yelling coming from the trees. A man was shouting obscenities as he neared the clearing. Before she could react, he stepped from the trees into the meadow and immediately fell silent at the sight of her.

" _It's him! The dark-haired one from my visions earlier in the police car._ "

"Pardon my intrusion, my prince," she heard herself say to him, timidly averting her gaze away from him as she scrambled to her feet, "but might I inquire as to whether you've lost your way, so far from the castle?"

" _Why would I dare look away from him; he's magnificent, beautiful, captivating..._ "

He regained his bearing and peered at the book at her feet as she tried to hide it behind her. "Stop!" he ordered, and she jumped at his voice. "I apologize, I didn't intend to startle you, but I recognize the book. Are you hiding out here trying to learn magic by yourself?"

"I, um..." she stammered as she looked down and lightly bit her bottom lip. He quietly approached her, kneeling down and handing her the book, never once taking his eyes off of her face. His gaze made her face flush bright red. "I'm sorry," she finally choked out, "I...I should go."

" _No, you should **not** go! Please, don't be a fool, stay and know him!_ "

"Please," he said softly, grabbing her wrist gently, "don't go on my account. If you're serious about wanting to learn magic, there truly is no better tutor than I. What is your name, little one?" he asked.

"Little one?!" she huffed. "My name certainly isn't 'little one' and I don't appreciate having my flaws pointed out, so if it's all the same to you, I must be getting back to my father's forge."

" _I dared to yell at him so? How nervous I must have been in his presence..._ "

"Forge...Iwaldi is your father?" She stopped in her tracks. "If you're truly taking your leave, allow me to least walk with you till you're safely out of the woods. I find your presence strangely...soothing," he admitted.

" _Father... Iwaldi... I can't recall what he looks like._ "

She sighed as she turned back towards him, asking, "Say I were to take you up on your offer to tutor me, what might be in it for you? I don't have much to offer, and if you're anything like your brother, Thor, then let me assure you now, I'm not quite as...easy as my sisters are."

" _...Sisters? I have sisters, I **do** have family! I wonder how many, and where they are. And he has a brother. Thor. What a peculiar name; it sounds like no other I've met with yet. Odd..._ "

He cringed when she said Thor's name. "I'm **not** my brother," he gritted through his teeth, "and I'm not after your virtue. I find you intriguing, and I'd simply enjoy your company, fully clothed, I assure you. If you'd truly like to learn magic, there are things I can teach you better than some dusty old tome. Now please," he smiled and held out his hand to her, "might I learn your name, beautiful daughter of Iwaldi?"

" _He thinks me beautiful? Has he never seen his own face?_ "

"...Beautiful?" she whispered as she peered up at him.

xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

Before she could say anything more, she was jolted awake by Howard's plane hitting turbulence. As abruptly as the dream had ended, she felt a great calm wash over her. She knew him, and he knew her, and she knew that she needed to find him.

The turbulence of the flight continued, bouncing her whole body off of the mattress. She scrambled for the button to the intercom as soon as it stopped.

"What's happening?! Howard? Mr. Jarvis?"

"It's just a little storm clouds, sugar. Just hang on to something, we're almost clear of it," Howard's voice replied. "Once we're past it, I'll pour us some drinks."

"Sir, I don't thi..." Jarvis began, then the intercom cut off.

Part of her wanted to go back to sleep, but she also wanted to see what turbulence looked like from the front of the plane. She stood from the bed as the plane shuddered again, pitching her forward into the door. She turned the doorknob and was flung backwards onto the bed as the door flew open. Before it could swing shut again, she dove through the open door to the small aisle between the four leather seats, and she started to crawl her way up to the front of the plane.

"Wow, you're a brave little broad, aren't you?" Howard exclaimed when she popped up between him and Jarvis, a wide-eyed look of exhilarated amazement on her face as she peeked out at the dark clouds and lightning. "Most dames just cower under the blankets at times like these."

"Sir, I believe it's safe to assume that she's not like most women," Jarvis added, turning to face her. "Might I ask, what is your name, after all?"

"I'm ashamed to admit, but I don't know. I can't recall."

"Well then, we'll have to come up with a nickname for you. I'm sure it'll come to me as we get to know each other better," Howard said. A bright flash of lightning lit up the sky in front of the plane, followed by a deafening crack of thunder. "We're not far from landing now, then we can rest for the evening."

"We're going to land in that storm? Is that dangerous?" she asked.

"Well, it's not ideal, but we've been up in the air for hours now, we need to refuel," Howard replied. "We're only about three quarters of the way to our final destination. We'll stay in a hotel tonight and finish on our way in the morning, once the weather clears up."

"We'll be beginning our descent soon," Jarvis spoke, "I'd advise you to take a seat and buckle your seat belt. The turbulence is only going to worsen as we pass through the clouds."

She lingered a moment longer, intently watching the lightning flicker and dance across the tops of the clouds below the aircraft. It reminded her of something, but once again she couldn't put her finger on it. She looked to her left at Jarvis, who was staring straight ahead, focused only on flying the plane; then she turned her gaze to her right, finding Howard watching her with intense curiosity. He flashed a beaming smile and raised his eyebrows at her, nodding his head towards the back of the plane.

She shakily made her way to one of the leather seats in the plane's midsection, collapsing into it as the plane started to shake again. She grabbed for the seat belt, but was unfamiliar with how to fasten it. After fumbling with it for a few minutes, she called out to the two men for help.

"Howard, Mr. Jarvis, I don't quite know how to secure this seat belt. Might I procure some assistance?"

"I'm coming," Howard called back to her, then turned to Jarvis. "You gonna be okay flying by yourself?"

"Yes, I'm quite capable, Mr. Stark."

Howard quickly made his way back to where she sat, taking the seat facing hers. He reached across the table between them and buckled her seat belt.

"There you go," he smiled. "Would you like a drink?"

"Yes, that would be nice."

"What do you prefer? Wine, champagne, liquor?" he asked as he stood, stumbling through the turbulence into a small pantry.

"I don't know," she called after him, "I'm not sure if I've ever had alcohol."

"Well how about champagne then? Nothing too heavy." Howard chuckled, popping open a bottle and pouring two glasses. He made his way back to her, handing her a glass as he sat across from her again. Before she could take a sip, he raised his glass towards her. "A toast," he exclaimed, "to new beginnings and new friends!"

She raised her glass to his and he clinked his against hers, then they both took a sip of their champagne. She winced as she swallowed, the alcohol tingling as it went down her throat. "So, what do you have planned for me once we're done traversing this realm?"

"Realm? That's an odd way of putting it," he shrugged. "Well, tomorrow morning I was planning on taking you clothes shopping, since you only came with the clothes on your back. Then we've got another eight hours in the air until we reach the island we're going to. It's in the South Pacific, so it'll be much warmer than New York was. Then we're going to test what you can and can't do."

"I've no idea what exactly I'm capable of. Honestly, I'm a bit afraid to find out. If I was able to give off pulses while I was unconscious, even simply as a defense mechanism, it still makes me nervous that it was beyond my control. What if I fall unconscious while I'm training and injure someone, or I have an outburst in my sleep and..."

"There won't be anyone around to hurt," Howard interrupted. "It's a private island. It'll only be the three of us. Either I or Jarvis will make a weekly trip for food, but other than that we'll be isolated. I don't want you to have any distractions, just take your time, focus, and gain control of your abilities."

"Well, that definitely quells my fears a bit." They finished their drinks in silence, then Howard took both glasses back into the pantry.

"I'm going to see if Jarvis needs help. Try to get some rest while we land."

xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

She stared out the window at the lightning, still flickering across the darkened clouds. As the plane started bucking again, she squeezed her eyes tight and rested her head back against the cool leather of the seat. Her head was spinning from the alcohol, and she drifted off to sleep.

She seamlessly slipped into a dream, finding herself in the arms of the dark-haired prince. His eyes were fixed on hers.

"What do _you_ want?" he asked.

"I want you," she heard herself whisper.

He smirked as he carried her through a thick forest. The next thing she knew, she was on a beach, twirling barefoot through the sand as he leaned up against a tree.

"Would I be out of line if I kissed you?" he asked, standing perfectly still as he watched her moving. She stopped spinning and quietly walked up to him.

"You'll have to catch me first," she whispered, standing on her tiptoes to reach his face; she pressed her lips softly against his cheek before playfully shoving him into the sand and running off down the beach.

She reached the water and began twirling in the waves, faster and faster as the cool water washed over her ankles. She closed her eyes, giggling as she spun until she felt dizzy; when she steadied herself and opened her eyes, he was standing right before her. She was about to dart away, but before she could get her legs to move, he closed the gap between them, entangling his fingers into her hair as he kissed her. She reached out and clutched at his shirt, tugging him even closer. She didn't want the kiss to end, but after a minute they stopped to breathe, and both laughed nervously.

" _I need him, completely, beautifully, endlessly..._ "

The dream flashed forward again. They were laying together in the sand; she was underneath him as they kissed. Every touch was blissfully perfect, her back arched up towards him as he gently kissed her neck and she tugged at his hair as her pulse quickened.

" _Who is he? This feels much too real to be a dream. I don't want to leave him._ "

xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

As if he had heard her thoughts, Jarvis shook her awake. "Wake up, dear. We've landed. We're about to leave for the hotel for the remainder of the night."

"Thank you, Mr. Jarvis," she replied quickly, lost in thought at the dream she'd just been shaken from.

" _I need to figure out who he was to me..._ "

She followed Jarvis out of the plane to find Howard waiting in a car. Jarvis opened the back door for her, and she sat behind Howard as Jarvis closed her door and got into the driver's seat.

As they drove through the streets, she rested her head against the window, looking up at the lightning storm still going on in the sky. Down on the ground, the wind was picking up and the smell of rain was in the air; the storm would worsen before it was over.

She couldn't wait to get to the hotel; a hot bath and a warm bed sounded great, especially at the prospect of seeing him again while she slept. They pulled into the parking lot of a grand hotel, and Howard went into the lobby to check in while she waited in the car with Jarvis.

"Are you alright?" Jarvis asked, "I've been a bit worried since I walked in on you crying after your shower. I don't mean to pry, but if you feel the need to talk to someone, I'm glad to lend an ear."

"I've just been having strange visions. I don't quite think it's anything that anybody can assist with; I need to figure it out in my own time."

Howard returned before Jarvis could say anything else. "I've gotten us two connecting rooms," he said, returning with a bellhop who took the two men's suitcases from the trunk of the car. Howard opened the car door for her, and handed Jarvis one of the room keys before he drove away to park the car.

"Well, shall we?" Howard said, holding his arm out as she looped her own arm through his. They made their way to their rooms. Each room had one king-sized bed, a couch, a dining area, and a large bathroom with a separate shower and soaking tub. "This room is yours, Jarvis and I will flip a coin for the other bed. If you need anything, just knock on this door," he said, walking through the door that adjoined the two rooms, "or you can leave it open, that's up to you. We'll leave our side open. I grabbed you another set of clean pajamas from the plane, I'll have them laid out for you in a bit. Are you hungry? I'll order room service, too."

"Yes, a meal sounds lovely. I'd like to take a bath first, if that's alright?"

"Absolutely, doll. Why don't we order first, that way it'll arrive when you're done with your bath?"

"Alright," she replied as he handed her a menu, "but I'd like it if we came up with a name other than 'doll', it feels...demeaning."

"I meant it affectionately, I promise. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"Thank you," she smiled, looking over the menu. As she was skimming through it, Jarvis arrived through the other hotel room.

"I'm going to place an order for room service. You want anything?" Howard asked, handing Jarvis a menu.

Jarvis quickly flipped through the menu. "Chicken Cordon-Bleu, with broccoli. And I'll take a cup of tea to drink."

"Okay," Howard said, turning towards her. "Know what you want?"

"Coconut shrimp and mashed potatoes. And a slice of chocolate cake."

"Anything to drink?"

"Wine?" she shrugged.

Howard chuckled. "I've got you covered," he said, picking up the room phone. "Hi there, I'd like to place an order to room 616 for room service. The first plate is coconut shrimp and mashed potatoes. Yes. Second is chicken cordon-bleu with broccoli. And third is a bacon cheeseburger, medium well, no onion, with french fries. For drinks, a cup of Earl Grey, a bottle of Scotch, and a bottle of Riesling. Oh, and one chocolate cake. Yep, that's it. Yes, add it to the room bill. Thanks." He hung up the phone. "Alright, you've got forty minutes if you still want to take a bath."

"Alright," she smiled, "might I get that clean change of clothing?"

"Ah, yes," Howard unzipped one of the suitcases, handing her a short, light blue nightgown. Jarvis saw it and coughed in embarrassment, looking at Howard with eyes wide.

She took the silken fabric from Howard and hurried into her room. Before she could close the door, Howard jumped up and stopped her. "What about The Star? Or just Star? Since you dropped out of the sky and all."

"I like that. I'll be along after my bath," she said, closing the adjoining door.

"Sir, that choice of attire for her was a poor decision on your behalf. You're going to push her away. She seems disinterested in the type of relationship you have a history of pursuing."

"Can't blame me for trying, Jarvis. She's beautiful."

xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

She laid the nightgown on the bed, hesitating a moment as she looked at it. She opened the closet in her hotel room, and was relieved to find a heavy white bathrobe. She tossed it next to the nightgown, mildly angry at Howard's brazen attempt to put her body on display.

She ran a hot bath as she stripped off the green pajamas she was still wearing from the plane, tossing everything into a pile by the door before stepping into the tub. It was a little bit too hot, and her skin reddened as she ran cold water to change the temperature. She closed her eyes as she relaxed in the water, thinking of her dark-haired prince again.

" _Mine,_ " she smiled to herself, " _I don't even have a proper name for his impeccable face, yet I dare claim ownership of him. As though there actually exists such a soul..._ " Her thoughts trailed off within her head as another vision, another glimpse of him took over.

xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

"...I accept this marriage, I don't wish for it to be annulled." He stood before her, smiling, not taking his eyes off of her. She looked down and found herself wearing a breathtaking white gown.

" _A wedding dress?! He's my..._ "

"Then, for your commitment to unforeseen circumstances," the older man reading their vows proclaimed, "I hereby deem you the..." His voice trailed off, hazy in her clouded memory.

At that, her prince grabbed her hand and they both vanished, reappearing within a different room, presumably his chambers.

"Is this real, or have I just fainted at the altar?" She was shaking.

"I told you that I'd keep you safe," he wrapped his arms around her, "now we belong to nobody but each other. My wife." Those two words echoed in her head. "Now, though, you've been through too much, emotionally. You're still shaking." He sat her down on his bed. "Rest here a moment, I'll run us a hot bath. You're safe now."

" _His wife... Then that means that we...that he's the only man I've ever... Oh..._ "

He walked off into his bathroom and she heard running water. She kicked off her shoes as she gathered her dress in her hands and stood up, padding barefoot out onto his balcony. She stood staring out at the unbelievable view and didn't hear him come up behind her.

"Are you alright, love?" She nodded silently. "Come inside, the bath will help you relax." He took her hand and led her back inside. He turned and kissed her , soft and slow, before she turned around and pulled her hair over one shoulder.

" _I'm yours. I'm sure I'll be alright._ "

"Can you untie my dress?" His breathing changed as he started loosening the back of her gown; she noticed his hands had begun to shake. Once it was loose enough, she pushed her clothing down at her feet, and she was left nude with her back to him.

" _I didn't..._ "

She felt his eyes on her as she crossed the room to the bathroom. When she was in the doorway, she turned back to him. "Are you going to join me, husband?"

He blinked and nodded.

She turned back to the bathroom; it was dimly lit with two candles and the sunlight coming in through the doorway. She climbed into the still, hot water; he had been right, it was definitely soothing.

She looked up at him as he stood in the doorway; he had removed his shirt and boots. Now it was her turn to be left speechless. He was truly a god, in every sense of the word. Her breathing got heavier as her mind started to race. He finished undressing, and when she saw him fully naked, her eyes went wide.

" _Oh my... He's perfect..._ "

When she looked up at his face, he had the biggest smile at her reaction. She blushed as he climbed into the bath with her. Once he sat down, she laid back against his chest and rested her head against his left shoulder. They laid together for a few minutes, still and silent.

The dream flashed forward and she was facing him, her hands moving over the most intimate parts of him as she grazed his neck with her lips. He was still and silent, his head thrown back and eyes closed, and his hands gripping the sides of the bathtub as he reveled in what she was doing to him. She couldn't believe what she was doing, but at the same time she completely understood it, given the magnetic draw she felt towards him.

xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

She was awakened by Jarvis lightly knocking on her door. "Are you alright, Miss Star? The food has arrived, I assume you would prefer to eat it hot."

It took her a moment to recognize where she was. "Yes, Mr. Jarvis, I'll be along shortly. Thank you." She drained the bathwater as she stood, stepping out of the tub and wrapping a towel around herself. She slowly opened the bathroom door and peeked her head out, checking to make sure that Jarvis had gone back into the other room. When she was positive that the coast was clear, she left the bathroom and sat on the edge of the bed, getting dressed in the tiny nightgown and wrapping the bathrobe around herself to cover up.

When she walked into the other hotel room, Howard's eyes darted to the doorway, but then looked disappointed when he saw her in the robe. He and Jarvis sat at the table in the dining area of the room, already eating their meals. She sat down with them and they ate in silence.

Once Howard finished eating, he spoke. "So tomorrow morning, if it's alright with you, Jarvis will ready the plane while we go shopping, and then afterwards we'll be on our way to the next destination. The flight will be about another eight hours, give or take."

Star nodded. Her mind was elsewhere, hung up on princes and castles. She picked at her food but couldn't concentrate on eating. After a few minutes, she looked up from her plate to find both men staring at her.

"Are you certain that you're alright?" Jarvis asked.

"Yes, I just... I'm just tired is all."

"Even after all that sleep you got on the plane?" Howard added. "Want me to save that chocolate cake for breakfast?"

"Yes," Star replied, "I think that would be best. If you don't mind, I'll finish my meal in my room." Without another word, she hurried into the other room, locking the connecting door behind her.

She pressed her back against the door, sliding down it as tears began to roll down her cheeks. There was an emptiness deep in her soul when she thought of him while she was awake; it was almost painful how badly she wanted to sleep forever, just to see him, hear him, hold him close.

She sat there for a moment, letting the feeling sink in; it was hard to wrap her head around it, this feeling of complete dedication to someone she'd only seen in dreams, but it felt more right than anything she felt while she was awake.

" _I have to find him, somehow,_ " she thought to herself as she stood, untying the bathrobe and letting it fall to the floor. She was only wearing the thin, silken nightgown, and it made her feel vulnerable and exposed. She padded across the carpet, pulling back the sheets and climbing atop the bed. She brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs, pausing to think about everything she'd gathered about him so far.

" _He's a prince, and my husband. My prince. Dark hair. Piercing eyes. A beaming smile, when I can elicit such a majestic sight. He's so much taller than I, he stood easily over a foot over me when he kissed me on the beach. And his body, when we were in the bath, when I... Touching him was so...alluring. Were I to infer some trace of truth exists in these reveries, what then? Might I surmise that he exists, that I've known him so intimately without any physical proof? Suppose I'm wrong, that I'm naught more than an unhinged cretin, chasing silhouettes from my own unsolicited euphoria. Perhaps, provisionally, it would be prudent of me to keep these visions concealed from my companions, until I've further understanding of these dreamscapes._ "

Her thoughts were racing as she tried to grasp some solidified reason behind these vivid fantasies. She knew enough to know it wasn't without purpose; the dreams were simply too realistic. She was able to feel and smell and taste, each of her senses exquisitely overloaded when he was near. As she laid down to sleep, she knew in the depths of her whole being that finding him was her first priority, above all else, and she wouldn't rest easy until she did.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I'm sorry it's been taking me so long to update, my semester ends June 5th so I've been studying for finals. I haven't dropped the story though. I should be able to update sooner after next Friday.**

 **The Island**

 _March 24, 1946_

She was restless as she slept that night, tossing and turning beneath the sheets. Her dreams were jumbled, fast and feverish scenes jumping all over the place: meeting him, kissing him, lying naked beneath him in his bed after they married. Even in her sleep, her head was spinning.

She jolted awake at a loud crack of thunder outside. She was breathing heavily, frantic and sweating. The dream felt like it had lasted for hours, just an endless loop of amorous hallucinations. She could still feel his hands on her, his touch oddly cool against her flushed skin; she still tasted him kissing her, the scent of his hair still lingered in her nostrils.

" _This is too much. I can't think, can't breathe. I can still feel him...everywhere,_ " she thought as tears started rolling down her cheeks. " _I need to figure out where I came from and how to get back. I need to find my way back to him._ "

She got out of bed and went into the bathroom, turning on the shower and peeling off her nightgown. She turned the cold water on in the sink and splashed her face to calm herself down, then got into the shower and let the hot water roll over her skin. Everything felt numb. She couldn't stop crying, her tears falling faster than she could attempt to hold them back; she collapsed to the shower floor in defeat.

" _Everything feels empty when I wake without him,_ " her mind raced with grief. She couldn't hold it in anymore and screamed in her anguish and pain. Almost immediately, she heard banging on the door to the adjoining hotel room. A few seconds later, she heard the hall door fly open, followed by the bathroom door. The shower door was opened and the water turned off; unseen hands wrapped a towel around her and lifted her off of the shower floor, carrying her out to the bed.

She looked up, finding Howard sitting next to her, a worried look on his face. "You wanna talk about it?"

She hesitated. "I keep having dreams of someone. I think that I truly knew him, the dreams feel so real, like memories being relived every time I close my eyes. I don't know my own name, but I know him. I need him. I need to find him." The tears started pouring down her cheeks again, like waterfalls from her soul.

"Hey, hey, shh," he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as he tried to comfort her. "I'll do whatever you need me to do to help you search for him. But keep in mind, you fell out of the sky. He might not be on this planet. We don't know where you came from yet."

Her eyes scanned the space in front of her as she tried to reason with what he had just told her. The thought hadn't crossed her mind until then that she might not find him. The hole in her heart felt like it was ripping open farther; she needed him.

" _Calm yourself. You don't know for sure. He could very well be somewhere on Earth._ " The storm still raged on outside, as a loud crack of thunder made them both jump. A moment later, the adjoining door cracked open and Jarvis peeked in.

"Is everything alright? What's happened?"

"I had a strange dream. I began crying in the shower and I screamed, and Howard came to my aid. I'm feeling quite better now. It's still late, though. We should probably all go back to sleep, I suppose."

xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

Star awoke three hours later when the sun rose; she found an emerald green dress laid out on the chair next to the dresser, and a pair of black heels on the floor. There was a note taped to the front of the dress.

 _I hope that this fits, until we go shopping today. There is a hairbrush and some bobby pins in the bathroom. Once you've dressed for the day, please join us for breakfast. No rush._

 _-H._

She quickly dressed and braided her hair, pinning the braid up around the top of her head like a halo, then slipped her feet into the black heels and walked a few steps across the room before she lost her footing and stumbled. She fell onto the foot of the bed, then stood and tried again to walk in the heels, moving slower and adjusting how she stepped.

" _These shoes will take some getting used to. It seems almost impossible to walk in these things._ "

She knocked on the adjoining door, and was greeted by Jarvis with a smile. Howard was on the telephone, calling up a bellhop to assist Jarvis in bringing the luggage to the car; there was a plate of bacon and eggs on the table, and he gestured for her to sit down and eat.

She picked at the food in silence while the two men moved around her, making sure nothing was left behind when they checked out of the rooms. She saw Howard box up the chocolate cake from the night before and hand it to Jarvis.

"We'll eat it on the plane," he told her, and they exchanged a smile. "Whenever you're done with breakfast, we'll head out to the shops. We've got quite a bit of shopping to do."

"We could go now."

"No, you barely touched your dinner last night," he insisted as Jarvis looked on, "I understand if you're going through some things right now, trying to adjust to being on Earth and all, but if you don't eat you're going to get sick and weak. We have a long flight ahead of us, and the only food on the plane will be chocolate cake. Please, just try to eat now."

"Okay," she timidly replied.

"I'm gonna go down to the car with Jarvis and settle the bill at the front desk while you eat then. I'll come back up to get you in about twenty minutes."

Once she was alone, she began eating as fast as she could, just to get it over with. The scrambled eggs were cold when she had sat down, but the bacon was still warm. After she cleared her plate, she walked to the window and looked out at the view. There was a white sandy beach as far as she could see along the coast, and the water was a beautiful turquoise as the waves rolled in to the shore. There was a knock at the door, and she opened it to find Howard waiting for her.

"Sorry, I turned in the key when I paid the bill," he smiled.

xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

They spent the next two hours shopping for clothes. She wasn't a complicated woman, so she chose clothing quickly after the tailor took down her measurements. Howard kept pushing her to buy more clothes; when she finally was fed up with shopping, she had chosen nine dresses, five skirts, seven blouses, two pairs of pants, and three pairs of shoes. She made Howard take the clothing back to the car while she was fitted for undergarments, and when he returned, he made the purchase while she held the bag, insistent about not allowing him to carry it.

"So, once we get on the plane," he spoke as they walked to the car, "it'll be about eight hours until we land on Guam to refuel again, then we'll fly a bit further south to the island we're staying on. It's off the coast of Australia, far enough that we shouldn't see any locals or tourists, just the three of us. The privacy should give you ample peace and quiet to practice and learn what you can do."

"How do I practice it though? I still don't even know what I did, or what I possibly _could_ do."

"Well," he thought for a moment, "maybe you could think about it before you go to sleep. You've been having vivid dreams; if they're really memories like you think, maybe it'll come to you in your sleep. We've got a long flight ahead of us, it's worth a shot."

They reached the car and Howard opened the trunk. She added the bag she was carrying to the rest of the shopping bags, and he closed the trunk and opened the front passenger door for her. She quietly got into the car, deep in thought.

" _What if he's right? What if my powers lie with my prince, and following him through my memory is the key? It couldn't hurt to try._ "

They drove back to the airport in silence. When they pulled up to the plane, she turned to Howard. "Once we get into the air, I'm going to try to sleep. I think your idea might be right."

"Okay," he said, "but try to keep it calm, don't cause anything that'll drop the plane into the ocean."

xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

An hour later, Howard and Jarvis were in the cockpit, and Star shut herself into the back room again. She stripped out of her dress and got into the shower; the hot water would help her relax and fall asleep easier. When she stepped out, a knee-length purple nightgown was laid out on the bed. She opened the closet where Howard had hung up her clothes, finding the bag of underwear in the bottom corner and picking out a pair of panties. She dried off and slipped the clothes on, then sat on the bed brushing her hair as she looked out the window on the side of the plane. All that she could see were clouds stretching on forever.

She hesitated for a moment before pulling the blinds closed and lying down beneath the sheets. The room was dark except for tiny slivers of light that crept in around the edges of the windows. She was nervous, afraid that she might put Howard and Jarvis in danger.

" _You have to do this. You need to try. You need to know._ " She closed her eyes, letting sleep take over.

xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

She found herself in the meadow of pink wildflowers, with him standing before her, a serious look on his face.

"Now," he spoke, "let's see what you've already learned." She knelt down and gently touched a flower that hadn't opened yet, and was shocked as it bloomed against her fingertips. She paid close attention to everything, her posture, her mannerisms, her concentration. He chuckled, "That's adorable, you've been playing with the flowers!" Her cheeks flushed pink, embarrassed that he was mocking her. She stood up, dusting a few blades of grass off of her dress. "Hmm, now, where to begin? Let's start with fire. Come here and place your hands on top of mine, the same way mine are facing," he said, holding his hands out in front of him with his palms facing up.

Star did as he said, gently resting her hands on top of his. She was surprised that despite the warm weather, his hands felt ice cold. She was nervous about using fire magic, but she felt nothing but trust for him. "I'll do it the first time, then you have to focus and do it yourself," he said, and she jumped at the sound of his voice. "Relax. Focus," he said, a stern look in his eyes. She took a deep breath and straightened her posture, then looked down at his hands, waiting.

He was still and silent, and after a minute she peeked up at his face. " _It's hard to concentrate on anything that isn't him. I just want to break away from this repetition of memories and hold him,_ " she thought to herself. Then she felt a warmth moving up through her hands, although his palms remained cold against her skin; she looked back down and rested her hands slightly more against his. He flashed a glance at her at the contact, as though being touched was something that he wasn't used to. Then a small ball of flame burst from each hand; she gasped and went to pull her hands away, but his reflexes were faster and he squeezed her hands between his thumbs and pinky fingers.

"Don't pull away like that!" he scolded her. "I'm tutoring you, not torturing you. Did you really think I intended to burn you?"

"No," she spoke, breaking through the memory, "I trust you. I know you. You would never hurt me."

His eyes darted to hers when she spoke, looking shocked and almost frightened. "...How?..." He let go of her hands, grabbing her shoulders tight, not breaking eye contact as his eyes began to tear up. "Why would you say that? That's not what you said that day. There's no reason why you would say anything different because you're..."

Before he could say anything else, she reached up and touched his face; he quieted at her touch, watching her inquisitively. She ran her fingers lightly along his jaw, gently pulling his face to hers when she reached below his chin. His breathing was heavy and he seemed both mesmerized and heartbroken.

"I'm here," she whispered. "I'll always be here." She lightly grazed her lips against his, and something in him snapped; he was rushed, kissing her frantically as though he hadn't seen her in years. She backed up with him as he moved towards her, until her back was up against a tree at the edge of the meadow. He lifted her up until she was at his height, and she wrapped her legs around his waist as best she could despite her dress. He continued kissing her, so passionately that she feared she might catch fire against the tree and burn the forest down.

He paused for a second to catch his breath, his hands still urgently tracing over her arms, her face, her hair, as though he was memorizing every tiny detail. "I miss you, love. I...I can't do this," he said, lowering her to the ground and back away from her as tears started rolling down his cheeks.

"Please," she reached out for him, "don't leave. I love you." He squeezed his eyes shut when she said those three words, refusing to look at her as though the sight of her was too painful for him to bear.

" _What happened to me, to cause him this much pain?_ "

Before she could say anything else, she was shaken awake by Howard. "No! Why would you wake me? No, no, no... I was making progress with him, I was about to ask him his name. He was so sad." She sat up in the bed and looked angrily at Howard. "What did you wake me for?"

"You were mumbling in your sleep, loud enough that we both could hear you through the closed door from the other end of the plane. Even Jarvis was worried. It sounded like you were in pain."

She looked disappointed and sighed to herself, then perked up, cupping her hands together in front of her and closing her eyes as she concentrated. Howard watched her curiously as she slowly opened her hands, peeking into her palms before smiling wide and jumping to her feet on the bed. "I did it!" she shouted excitedly, waving a tiny pink flower in his face. "I made this, I did it! I saw these flowers in my dream!"

She stopped and sat down on the edge of the bed, twirling the tiny flower in her fingers as her smile faded. "I was there. He was so terribly sad. He needed me and I must have disappeared before him when you woke me. I need to go back to sleep. Now!" She stood, pushing Howard out of the room and closing the door behind him.

She laid back down in the bed, but her mind was racing and it made it impossible to fall back asleep. " _I got through to him somehow, he recognized me. He seemed so heartbroken, though._ " She touched her scar through her clothing. " _What happened to me?_ "

After twenty minutes, she gave up on trying to go back to sleep, making her way out to the front of the plane. Howard was sitting in one of the leather seats in the midsection of the plane reading a book, and Jarvis was in the cockpit.

"Can't fall back asleep?" Howard asked apologetically, and she shook her head. "Are you hungry? We still have that chocolate cake."

"That sounds great!"

"Take a seat, I'll cut you a slice. Jarvis, do you want some chocolate cake?"

"No, thank you."

Star looked out of the window on the left side of the plane, finding nothing but clouds and open ocean beneath them. "How long was I sleeping?"

"About five hours," Howard replied, setting down a plate in front of her and a glass of milk, then going back to the pantry for a slice for himself before sitting back in his seat on the right side of the plane, so that they each had a table to themselves. "I'm sorry for waking you. If you're right and your dreams really are connected to this man, I hope that I didn't make things more conflicted for you."

"I'm sure I can straighten it out," she replied between bites of the cake, "but everything is new to me, I don't quite understand how it works yet. I don't think that the dreams are even in sequential order, they seem to jump all over the place. One dream I was meeting him, then in another I was marrying him; it doesn't make sense yet. And if he's having the dreams too, they could be repeating which makes it even more complex."

"If you want, I have sleeping pills. I have them for when I get headaches at night that keep me awake."

"Why not," she shrugged, and he went into the pantry for a minute, returning with a small paper cup containing two tiny round pills.

"Just know that if you take them, we probably won't be able to wake you until the medication wears off."

"That's fine, he's the only thing that I dream of. I'm sure I'll be alright. Maybe staying asleep longer will clear my head, too."

She took the pills without hesitation, washing them down with the milk, then finished eating her cake. She was so anxious to go back to sleep; the interaction with him in the last dream was seared into her mind. He had pounced on her like a feral animal when she had spoken up and broken the repetition of the memory, kissing her with such a hunger that she had thought for a split second that he would take her right there against the tree. She desperately needed to find out what had happened to her, why he was so sad and uneasy at the sight of her.

She stayed in the leather seat watching the clouds until she began feeling drowsy, then excused herself and went into the back room, quietly closing the door behind her. She laid down on top of the blankets on her stomach, and drifted off to sleep almost instantly.

xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

She found herself in a grand banquet hall; the entire room seemed to be made of gold. On one wall were rows of tables filled with platters of meats, cheeses, breads, wines, and desserts. Smaller dining tables lined the two adjoining walls at the far ends of the room, and a long table lined the other wall, seemingly for important guests. The center of the huge room was filled with people; couples dancing, friends laughing, everyone celebrating. She looked up at the high ceiling far above the crowd, and found a balcony lining the wall above the long dining table; an older couple stood looking out at the festivities. She recognized the man from the dream of her wedding, his eye patch giving him away.

" _He was the man who married us,_ " she remembered to herself. Suddenly, a tall blonde woman came up beside her, grabbing her arm.

"Sister, there you are!" she exclaimed, "I was afraid you'd not show your face tonight! Come, dance with me!"

The blonde pulled her out into the center of the room, and every man's eyes seemed to follow them as the blonde started to sway her hips to the music. She grabbed Star's hands and tried to get her to join in, but Star pulled away and laughed nervously under all the attention.

She looked up to the balcony again, finding only the woman standing there, keeping watch over everyone in attendance. They made eye contact for a moment, and the woman smiled down at her and waved, as though she knew something more than everyone else did. Star debated going up and speaking to her, but then he stepped up beside her on the balcony, and her breath caught in her throat.

"Sister, you look as though you've seen a ghost," the blonde interrupted her thoughts, following her gaze up to the balcony, "you need not be afraid of him, dear Little One. He'll take his leave as he always does."

"Why would he leave? Does he not desire to dance with his wife?"

The blonde burst into a fit of laughter. "Have you hit your head? Loki has no wife, and you have no husband. Father hasn't even found you a suitor yet, either."

"Loki...," she repeated to herself, returning her gaze to the Queen and Prince above them. The Queen kept her eyes on Star as she spoke to her son. Something about her felt out of place, and after a moment Loki quietly crept away from his mother. Star followed him with her eyes and began walking after him, intending to intercept him as he snuck away. Just before she reached the door to the hallway, a guard stepped out in front of her, blocking her way.

"Excuse me," she said quietly. He didn't move out of her way.

"The Queen demands that you speak with her. Now."

She turned back towards the Queen above her, and she smiled down at her again. The guard led her out into the hall, and Loki turned back at the end of the hallway upon hearing the door open; they made eye contact for a brief second before he rounded the corner and was gone.

She sadly followed the guard up a winding stone staircase to the balcony. The Queen walked over and took her arm, dismissing the guard.

"I'm glad to see that you made it through the Bifrost unharmed, my child, but whatever are you doing here?"

"What is the Bifrost?" she asked.

"Oh, dear," the Queen replied, leading Star towards a set of double doors that led out into a huge garden, "I was afraid of this. A soul is a tricky thing, it can defy space and time in ways that most don't understand. You met an untimely demise here, but I was able to separate your soul from your body before you died, and I cast it out into the universe in the hopes that you would find the strength to live on. You are connected to Loki by your dreams, but I'm afraid at this point in time you hadn't met each other yet."

Star looked saddened by the news, but the Queen point out into the night. Across the garden in the distance was Loki, alone in the darkness, pacing back and forth as small bursts of flame glowed in his palms. He seemed to be tossing fire from one hand to the other.

"He was so lonely before he found you," the Queen continued, "but when he did meet you, something in him shifted. He was finally happy, no longer resigned to solitude. You gave him purpose, a reason to smile. He felt loved like never before. What the two of you shared was..."

"...perfect," Star interrupted. "Why don't I remember anyone else other than him?"

"You were close to death, I'm lucky to have saved as much as I did of who you were. I hope you weren't taken back too far in time, he desperately needs you now. He has fallen into a deep state of unrest and depression since he lost you. I fear he may be suffering from delusions."

"I don't think he's delusional. I think I can communicate with him in dreams, just as you and I are doing now."

The Queen thought for a moment. "Please tread lightly, if that is the case. He knows not that I saved your soul; I don't know where or when you were reborn, and I can't give him false hope. You can't try to communicate with him until you catch up to present day." The Queen seemed to become distressed as she spoke. "It's dangerous to his sanity." She paused. "I'm out of time, I'm sorr..."

Everything went dark, and Star felt as though she was falling, then she found herself naked as she was violently thrown across a marble floor until her back slammed against a wall. She looked up at a bearded man with a sword in one hand and an angry look on his face.

"Cover yourself up, whore. Let's wait for your lover to return. You were promised to **me** , and I'm not leaving here without blood on my hands."

She scrambled to her feet, grabbing a blanket that was near her on the floor. She wrapped it tightly around her body, tucking it in across her chest to hold it up. She heard frantic, heavy footsteps running in the hallway, getting louder as their owner neared the door. The man grabbed her and yanked her in front of him, pressing the blade of his sword to her throat as the door opened and Loki burst into the room. He looked scared upon seeing her in this predicament, and that only made her even more frightened and confused.

"About time you joined the party," the other man snapped at Loki. "It's a shame that not everyone here is leaving alive."

She watched Loki staring at the position she was in; he had his hands up, trying to defuse the situation. His hands were shaking ever so slightly, and even from across the room, she could see that he was forcing himself to remember to breathe. She couldn't stop her eyes from going wide with fear with the sword pressed against her throat.

"Loki, he's mad! He's not thinking cl..." she heard herself yell until the man yanked her hair back.

"Not another word or I'll slice your pretty little neck open."

"Just look at me, love," Loki called out to her. "It's going to be alright."

"See, now," the other man said angrily, "there's the prince we all know and love. The liar." Without warning, he plunged his sword into her back. She felt no pain since it was just a dream, but was shocked and speechless seeing the blade protruding from her chest, as blood began to stain the blanket that was wrapped around her.

" **NO!** " Loki shouted, an exact echo of the scream she had heard in the shower on Howard's plane when she had first touched the scar on her chest.

" _This is the wound that killed me,_ " she thought, as realization hit home.

The man laughed behind her. "You're thinking about the healing room, aren't you?" Loki looked at him, and she could tell that he was starting to panic. The man twisted the sword inside of her chest, making her injuries worse, then pulled his sword out of her and let her slump to the floor. She watched helplessly, unable to move, as blood began to pour out onto the floor all around her.

" **NO NO NO NO!** " Loki dropped to his knees and frantically crawled to where she lay. She just wanted to hold him, to let him know that she wasn't really dying, that there was still a way for this to turn out alright. Her murderer ran while Loki was distracted as he tried to stop the bleeding.

He pulled her up into his lap, cradling her body as he applied pressure to her wounds. Suddenly, a tall blonde man ran into the room. "Mother sent me to make sure you were... What happened?" Loki stood up, holding her, and pushed her into the blonde man's arms.

"Get Mother and take Sigyn to the Healing Room. Keep her alive! I'll be back to help as soon as I deal with Theoric," he said, leaning down to kiss her forehead, "I can't give him the chance to slip out of Asgard, not after this atrocity."

" _Sigyn. Is that my real name?_ "

The blonde man peered down at her bloody body in his arms for a moment, then took off running with her. She watched with a breaking heart as Loki ran in the opposite direction, the way her attacker had fled.

She lost consciousness within the dream, then came to on a table as the blonde man and the Queen moved around her, trying to heal her wounds. It took her a moment to realize that she wasn't actually laying on the table, but watching the scene unfold from across the room. The Queen and the blonde man were arguing about where Loki had gone.

"He needs to be here with his wife," the Queen said, gently running a hand over Sigyn's bloodstained forehead. She looked up, staring right at Star standing across the room, invisible to everyone but the Queen. "Everybody out!"

Once the room had cleared and only the Queen remained with her body, she spoke to Star as she began separating Sigyn's soul from her dying body. "I know you are here, that this is a dream, a memory of what happened to you. I'm sorry that I couldn't remove this from your memory, but I had no time. You have a long road ahead of you until you even get a chance to see him again, but I hope that it will give you time to blossom and grow; Loki saw great potential in your abilities, and I share his belief that you have an opportunity to become very skilled in magic, with focus and practice. The man who brought you to me just now is Loki's brother, Thor. When he is sent down to Earth, that's when you'll be close to seeing Loki again. I don't know how long you'll have to wait, but keep watch for him as a sign."

She looked on in awe, speechless as the Queen pulled a small glowing ball of light from her body, and afterwards her body breathed its last breath. Tears rolled silently down her cheeks as she watched herself die. Frigga stepped over to her, gently touching her cheek as their eyes met. "This isn't the end, my dear. Don't weep for this misfortune; smile and stay strong, you are the light in his darkness, and the brighter you shine, the sooner he'll find you again."

The Queen backed away, standing next to the lifeless body on the table again as the doors flew open and Loki took two steps into the room before stopping in his tracks at the sight of her lying still on the table.

"I must go inform Iwaldi and Freya," Frigga spoke to Loki as if Star wasn't there, before quietly walking out into the hall.

She watched as Loki walked slowly to where her body laid and picked her up in his arms. He staggered to the corner and collapsed, burying his face in her blood stained hair.

"I was supposed to keep you safe. I couldn't even do that for a day." His back began to shake as he started crying, and all she wanted was to let him know that she was standing there, but he couldn't see her. "Don't leave me."

" _I would never. I promise I'll find you again. My Loki._ "

She wanted to stay and comfort her grieving husband, but she felt a pull from her soul to follow Frigga despite her desire to remain by his side. The Queen quickly left the castle, walking across a beautiful rainbow bridge that led to an odd type of building on the outskirts of the world. A tall, muscular man was standing outside, expectantly waiting for the Queen.

"My Queen. What are the odds that this will work?"

"I don't know, Heimdall. But I have to try, in hopes that he can find her again someday. Nobody other than you and I can know, though, in case this doesn't work. I can't have my son recklessly scouring the Nine Realms for something he may very well never find." She opened her hands as Heimdall placed his sword into the pedestal in the center of the round room, opening some sort of portal. Frigga looked at the small glowing orb in her hands, whispering to it. "Remember your name, Sigyn, and find your way back to Loki." With that, she gently pushed Sigyn's Soul out among the stars, and Star felt the falling feeling again as everything went dark.

xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

She woke up to find Jarvis shaking her.

"Oh, thank heavens," he exclaimed, a worried look on his face, "I've been trying to wake you for twenty minutes now. We've reached the island. Howard walked ahead to the house to retrieve his automobile from the garage."

She sat up, unmoving, as tears began rolling down her cheeks.

"What is it? Another of your dreams?"

"I watched myself die. And I fear I'm going to be alone for a very long time."

"My dear, you are among friends, I assure you that you won't be alone if you don't want to be." He tried to comfort her, but she was inconsolable.

"I died in his arms. I can't imagine the pain that he suffered at my loss. And there's nothing I can do to prove to him that I'm still alive. Not for a very long time."


	3. Chapter 3

**_A/N: This chapter is a short, only 2 pages when I opened it on docs. The chapter after this is much longer, 6+ pages. That will be posted within the hour. Sorry again for the long break from writing. I've been doing a lot of work on this story again recently, updates should be much more frequent again. xoxo WriteBrain_**

 **Abilities**

Jarvis and Star stepped off of the plane onto the dirt of a makeshift runway as Howard pulled up in a black convertible car. The air was warm as they stood in the sun; Jarvis loaded the luggage into the trunk as Howard got out and leaned his seat forward for her to climb into the back seat. She stretched her legs across the seat, sitting sideways as the two men sat in the front seats.

They drove down the dirt path of the runway until a paved road popped up on the left between the trees. Howard turned the wheel, gently guiding the car from one texture of ground to the other; once onto the pavement, he began to press on the gas pedal, gradually picking up speed as they drove between the bushes and palm trees.

After a few minutes, a house appeared at the end of the road, huge and out of place amongst the jungle brush of the island. The front porch was slightly overgrown from the house lying empty for too long. Howard parked the car in front of the steps and went up to the front door, unlocking it as Jarvis opened the trunk and Star climbed out of the back seat. She stared up at the tall home, three stories of windows glaring down at her.

"This place is...intimidating," she said as Howard turned back to face her after opening the door.

"Well," he replied, smiling, "until further notice, this is home. My room is at the top of the stairs, on the second floor. Jarvis has the room to the left of that. Any other bedroom is open, though. The room at the front of the house on the third floor has a fantastic view of the ocean, especially at sunset."

"I'll take that into consideration," she said, returning the smile.

"Jarvis and I have to fly into town for groceries. Since it's the first shopping trip we're both going to go so we can stock the house with food, extra set of hands. The island is empty, though, so if you want to stay here, you'll be fine."

"I think some time alone would serve me well. I'll try to see what abilities I can produce. It'll be best if I do so at a safe distance, until I have a better understanding of it."

xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

An hour later, she waved the two men off, closing the front door and walking up to the third floor. The bedroom Howard had suggested was enormous, a heavy oak four-post bed against the far wall, across from a bay window with a cushioned bench. The bed was covered in dark purple sheets, and looked fit for royalty. She walked to the window, catching her breath as she peered out at the view. She could see all the way over the treetops to the beach.

" _This room will do nicely,_ " she thought to herself as she turned and left the room, making her way down both flights of stairs to the front door and walking out onto the porch. She hesitated for a moment, looking at her surroundings before choosing a direction. She decided to go to the beach; he had tried to teach her fire in the dream; she thought it best to keep near the water, just in case.

xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

Five hours later, Howard and Jarvis landed the plane back onto the island and loaded the groceries into the car. They returned to find the house empty; once they finished loading the refrigerator and pantry, both men stepped out onto the front porch.

"Where do you think she's wandered off to, Sir?"

Howard looked from left to right as the daylight was fading, trying to figure out how she would've thought. "Smoke!" He shouted, pointing over the treetops. Both men took off running for the beach.

They burst through the trees onto the sand, frantically looking for Star. They found her barefoot and twirling in the water as a bonfire burned before her on the beach.

"I did it!" she shouted excitedly.

"You rubbed some sticks together," Howard retorted, unimpressed.

"No," she replied, "I did no rubbing of sticks, Howard. I **made** the fire." She raised her right hand up as the two men came to a halt in the sand. Their eyes both went wide as her hand became immersed in flames.


	4. Chapter 4

**_A/N: After this chapter, the story will start making time jumps to catch up to Loki/present day. Going to try to have the next chapter up by Monday, but I also have midterms this week, so if it doesn't work out then it'll be up next weekend at the latest. xoxo WriteBrain_**

 **The Fall and The Climb**

Time had a way of flowing differently after Loki fell from the Bifrost; slower and faster at the same time, free of the constraints of revolutions around suns. He was doomed to an eternity drifting and lost, tumbling through an endless sea of darkness and nothingness. The only glimmer of sanctuary within his crumbling psyche was the echo of his lost bride, whispering her screams buried at the back of his mind, begging to be heard.

She reverberated within the space between his ears, forcing him to remember everything, her eyes, her smile, the scent of her hair and the feel of her lips touching his skin, a racing heat against the cold of his icy Jotun blood.

 _"There is only nothing now,"_ he thought in his solitude as he meandered among the stars, _"I've nothing left but for these reminders of a time when i came so close to happiness, and time. Time...until I run out of energy and succumb to this emptiness."_

Hungry, tired, and cold, he gave in and let sleep take hold; the third feeling he found odd, the idea that anything could make _him_ cold. He dreamed of Sigyn, as he always did, but the dreams were increasingly different and weird, seeing her on Midgard, cavorting with the lowly beings of that realm as though they were equal to her. The thought disgusted him. Dead or not, she was his bride, an Asgardian royal for all time. He couldn't make sense of why he dreamed such things that irked him to the core.

 _ **"Loki."**_ Her voice echoed in his ears and he awoke off-balance, no longer spinning aimlessly through the void, but facedown on a cold, hard rock surface. It took a moment for him to get his bearings, and he inhaled deep but slow, not wanting to alert anyone of his consciousness until he knew who, or what, he was dealing with. He heard raspy male voices discussing his fate, at least two. He listened in, trying to decide whether to fight or play along; in his weakened state, he wasn't sure if fighting was even a possibility. He barely parted his eyelids to peer at the ill-fated creatures who thought it wise to hold him prisoner.

"We could so easily dispatch him. One who is so small and frail can't be of much use," the smaller being spoke, it's back to Loki.

"No," the larger one replied from atop a throne overlooking the stars, "until I learn his identity, he is to be kept alive. No mortal being could survive in the void of space as he has. Use whatever method you must to find out where he's come from, but do not let him expire or you shall follow after." He turned away, gazing back at the stars as if waiting, searching for something he'd lost.

Loki felt hands pulling him up, and once he was upright he opened his eyes, staring down his captors. The smaller creature brought his face so close to Loki's that he could smell his breath, pungent as rotten meat.

"You have fight in your eyes. We want that fight. We will get into your head, and We will find out what We want to know. Resist and We will gift you pain as you've never imagined. We will find your past, your weaknesses."

Loki felt as though the creature was inside his head and quickly blocked his mind like the fortress it was. " _They can't find out about Sigyn, they'll use my sorrow against me."_ Before he could think anything else, the creature brought its ghoulish hand to his forehead.

"We gave you fair warning." At that, Loki felt as though his bones were crushing in on themselves. He caught his breath but refused to scream; the pain was excruciating, unending. The creature laughed at his handiwork. "This is only the beginning."

 _1946_

Howard and Jarvis stood speechless, staring at the orange flames dancing between her fingers. The fire flowed and danced like a ballerina, moving delicately as a breeze. She seemed mesmerized by the fire as much as the two men were, slowly turning her hand over, opening and closing her fist.

"Isn't it incredible?" She finally exclaimed, jarring her companions from their silence. Howard was the first to speak as he walked nearer to where she stood.

"Does it hurt?"

"It feels warm, but it isn't burning my skin. The longer I do it, though, it makes me feel very sleepy. I need to practice more and become stronger." She shook her hand and the flames vanished. "Can we return to the house? I need to rest."

"Of course," Jarvis finally spoke, taking her arm and leaving the beach together.

Howard turned towards the bonfire still burning in the sand. He stepped closer and squatted down beside it, holding his hands up to the heat radiating from the flames.

"This is wild..." He muttered to himself as he stood and kicked sand over the fire until it was completely put out. He stood a moment more, still in disbelief that she had literally **made** fire right before his eyes. He slowly backed away and began walking back to the house.

 _Eleven days later_

"I'm getting really worried Jarvis," Howard said quietly, both men standing in the hallway outside her bedroom. "Should I call a doctor, is she in a coma, because nobody sleeps this long?"

"I'm not sure what to do here, Howard," he replied, "I've never heard of anyone sleeping this long who wasn't comatose. But most people don't fall out of the sky or channel spontaneous combustion either." At this, Jarvis opened the door to her room and brought a plate of food in, as he did at every meal in the hopes that she would rouse from her slumber. "Howard? She's not in here!"

"What are you talking about?!" Howard exclaimed as he ran into the room, finding her sheets half crumpled to the floor and the bed empty. "She can't have gone far. Let's split up and search the island. We'll each take a flare gun so we can alert each other if we find her."

The two men fled the house, Jarvis going left and Howard going right from the front door. Howard ran along the path to the beach, yelling for her. He faintly heard Jarvis shouting behind him.

He stopped running when he reached the ocean, looking left and right along the beach. He found nothing but empty sand in either direction.

"Shit. Where are you, girl?" Howard mumbled to himself, trying to decide which direction to run when the flare lit up the sky overhead.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the island, Jarvis reached the end of the left path to the other beach. As he stepped out onto the sand he saw her standing ankle-deep in the waves. She looked ethereal in that moment, platinum hair and white nightgown being whipped by the wind that was picking up at an abnormal pace. He looked up into the sky and noticed that the clouds overhead were turning black and swirling, starting directly over her head and radiating out, crushing the day's blue sky.

Jarvis turned his back to her and fired the flare up into the sky, then faced back towards her. He timidly stepped closer to her.

"Star! What's happening?" He shouted over the wind.

She cocked her head to the side at the sound of his voice as he stepped up right next to her, and he saw that her cheeks were stained with tears. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy, her breathing shallow and ragged.

"What's happened?" Jarvis shouted again, the wind almost completely drowning out his voice. "Are you doing this?"

The entire island was covered in darkness, the clouds blocking out the sun as lightning began to flicker and dance over their heads. She locked eyes with Jarvis, then raised her hand, showing him a small wildflower clutched in her fist.

"I'm remembering more, Jarvis. My dreams, they aren't just dreams. I've been stuck in sleep because my powers are getting stronger, but I've had repetitive visions while I slept. I know he's not here, not on this realm. And I know that I've no way to leave here..." she trailed off, keeping his gaze a second longer, before turning her head back to the ocean. "We shared our first kiss on a beach like this one." She began crying again, and the storm overhead reacted with a loud crack of thunder. She twirled the flower in her fingers and closed her eyes as another vision came to her.

"Try to calm down," Jarvis said nervously, his voice fading in her ears as her mind took over, "let's return to the house and talk this out, over tea, perhaps?"

The visions came in broken pieces. She found herself standing on a different beach, staring at Loki leaning against a tree at the edge of the beach.

"Would I be out of line if I kissed you?"

Loki was standing still, watching her every move as she walked back to him. When she was right in front of him, she stopped, standing up on her tiptoes, and whispered in his ear, "You'll have to catch me first," and kissed his cheek before playfully pushing him down and running onto the beach.

There was a jump in her memory and then she was twirling in the waves as he walked right up to her, until he was a foot away from her. She stopped spinning and was about to run, but he closed the gap between them. Before she could move, he reached up and weaved his fingers into her hair, leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. Sigyn reached out and grabbed at his clothes, pulling their bodies closer together. She exhaled through her nose and let out a whimper as they began kissing each other. After a minute they stopped to catch their breath, and they both laughed nervously. She let go of her grip on his clothes, slowly looking up at him and biting her lip the way she did the first time he saw her, when she had tried to hide her book from him.

There was another jump and the evening was darker, Loki knelt in front of her, brushing tears back from her cheeks.

"Sigyn, look at me," he said, moving in front of her and wiping her tears back with his thumbs. "I can't even begin to stress how much I know exactly what you're feeling." She peered up at him, and he couldn't stand seeing her like this. He cupped her chin in his hand and softly stroked his thumb against her cheek.

"Loki, I can't..." He didn't let her finish, kissing her as he laid her back on the sand behind her. He paused and they made eye contact for a split second, before she wrapped her arms around his neck. She pulled him closer, and he kissed his way along her jaw to her neck, burying his face in her hair and gently biting her. She gasped, her back arching up against him. She wove her hands into his hair, tugging the hair on the back of his head as he pulled the sleeve of her dress off her shoulder, continuing to kiss along her skin.

"Loki," she whispered, and he looked up at her. The daylight was almost completely gone, her face shrouded in shadow. He moved back up to her lips, and they laid there kissing each other as the night crept in.

She snapped out of her trance-like state, and looked around at what she was doing in her emotional upset. The sky was black and the wind was racing, lightning flickering overhead.

Jarvis was on her left, trying to calm her, but she couldn't hear his words. Her memory of Loki gave her a sense of ease and rationality. Howard ran out onto the beach then, appearing on her right side.

"You're doing this? You need to stop it! You're going to tear this island apart!"

Sigyn raised her arms over her head and slowed her breathing, thinking only of Loki. The black clouds began to clear and the winds subsided, and after a moment there was no trace that any storm had been there. She turned to face Howard.

"I want you to build me a sleep chamber. Can you do that? A place to keep me safe where I can sleep for long intervals? Years, even. It might not make sense, but for me, this is the past. I'll have to wait years until I'll get a chance to see my husband again. I'd prefer to sleep those years away if I can."

"Wait, let's talk about this. You've got so much potential and you can..."

"My heart is breaking, Howard. Every second I'm without him feels like a hole in my chest." She stared Howard right in the eye, her eyes brimming with tears again.

Howard sighed. "I'll start looking into it immediately."

Loki awoke in an empty stone cell, face up on the bare floor. His head was pounding; the Chitauri tried for hours to break through the walls of his mind for information, anything they could use against him. He would never let them find Sigyn, to use her memories against him. He was tired, hungry, his skin pale and cold as though the Jotun warrior within him was coming to the surface the longer they tortured him.

As he sat up, the door to his cell opened, and a Chitauri guard entered. "Thanos wants to speak to you," the creature croaked out. Loki stood and followed without a word, his hands shackled in front of him. As the pair approached Thanos on his throne, the goliath turned to face Loki, dismissing the guard.

"I've heard the Chitauri have been unsuccessful in their methods. What are you hiding?"

Loki straightened and inhaled with a smirk. "How do I know I can trust any of you with what's in my head? You could just as quickly turn the information against me."

"Is the information quite so valuable? Who are you, boy?"

"Loki, of Asgard."

"Asgard..." Thanos repeated, "Are you of the House of Bor?"

"Bor?!" Loki scoffed. "My grandfather is dead, if that's what you're asking."

"Then you are a son of Odin?"

"I am."

"What finds you adrift so far from home, Asgardian?"

"I desire a realm to rule."

"Are you not the crown prince?" Loki winced, and Thanos bellowed at his reaction. "Then you see yourself as a ruler with no throne? I have a proposition for you."

Loki smiled. "I'm listening..."


End file.
